Europe's Largest Iron Ore Producer LKAB Selects IFS As Part Of Its Journey Toward The Digital Mine

To achieve carbon dioxide-free production by 2045, leading mining and minerals group LKAB recently launched one of the largest industrial investment plans in Swedish history. With digitalization and automation as key enablers for realizing its sustainability and productivity goals, the company has chosen enterprise applications company IFS to deliver a state-of-art enterprise asset management (EAM) solution capable of helping the company set a new world standard for data-driven mining.

Established in 1890, state-owned LKAB produces 80 percent of the iron ore in Europe and operates the biggest underground iron ore mine in the world. 

To reach its productivity and environmental goals, the company has embarked on a holistic digital transformation journey to ensure business process transparency, consolidation and harmonization of processes and data, as well as access to high-quality insights to drive improved decision-making. 

Launching a comprehensive evaluation process, LKAB scanned the market for a best-in-class EAM solution that could support its mission-critical mining operations while offering an open architecture for easy integrations. Another key consideration was to equip its workforce with intuitive, easy-to-use mobile technology to ensure a positive user experience.

Based on its robust capabilities in key areas such as maintenance and logistics, as well as its RESTful APIs based on the OData standard and browser-based user interface, LKAB opted for a cloud-based solution from IFS. 

“The journey LKAB has embarked on will transform the global iron and steel industry and set new standards for how mines are digitized and managed,” Senior Vice President, Market and Technology Markus Petäjäniemi said. “To lead the industry toward more responsible, resource-efficient mining practices, we need the very best technology to make sure our people and assets are working efficiently and safely. IFS is an open solution that will connect to our technological backbone and support our current and future needs.”

Elni Kullmer, IFS Managing Director, Nordics, added, “This is a landmark agreement for IFS and we are honored to have been chosen by LKAB to help usher in a new era of efficient mining. We have been supporting EAM processes in asset-intensive industries since the 1980s and we are thrilled to be able to bring our experience to bear on this exciting project. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership.”

The IFS solution will be used by some 4,000 LKAB employees working in Sweden, England and Norway.

Learn more about how IFS supports mining companies at www.ifs.com/industries//industries/energy-utilities-and-resources/mills-and-mining.

About the project

LKAB’s diverse operations involves everything from customer relations to underground activities, development and transport. The smooth operation of the value chain requires clear processes and a well-functioning IT system that offers support and makes the workday easier for staff and decision-makers. LKAB is therefore launching a new application platform as an important part of its digitalization journey.

The new application platform will support:

• 3,800 employees in Sweden, 300 in England, and 200 in Norway 
• 20 LKAB sites, of which five located in Sweden
• 10 subsidiaries
• 12 countries
• 4,100 active users in maintenance/purchasing
• 90,000 purchase orders
• 160,000 invoices
• 140,000 work orders

Contact information

Natalie Sutton
IFS, Head of External Communications
Email: press@ifs.com
Phone: +44 7712 427588

Johanna Fogman
Communications Officer, LKAB
Email: johanna.fogman@lkab.com
Phone: +46 70 342 14 75

About LKAB

LKAB is an international high-tech mining and minerals group that mines and upgrades the unique iron ore of northern Sweden for the global steel market. Sustainability is core to our business and our ambition is to be one of the industry’s most innovative, resource-efficient and responsible companies. The group had sales of about SEK 31 billion in 2019 and employs about 4,300 people in 12 countries. Other group business include industrial minerals, drilling systems, rail transport, rockwork services and property management. www.lkab.com

About IFS 

IFS develops and delivers enterprise software for customers around the world who manufacture and distribute goods, build and maintain assets, and manage service-focused operations. The industry expertise of our people and solutions, together with a commitment to delivering value to every one of our customers, has made IFS a recognized leader and the most recommended supplier in our sector. Our team of 4,000 employees and growing ecosystem of partners support more than 10,000 customers around the world challenge the status quo and realize their competitive advantage. Learn more about how our enterprise software solutions can help your business today at ifs.com.

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